Kim Cahoon, CISR, CLCS, agent/producer, Luhn-McCain Insurance Agency
Years at company: 3.5
How can employers recruit young talent?
If a business is looking for young talent, they need to have a business that is up to date with technology. The internet and social media are key. Younger generations are looking for everything online and easy to access. Promote a strong, friendly working environment with training programs, job flexibility, benefits, incentive programs and advancement opportunities.
How does technology fit into your work strategy?
I am able to answer emails and take care of client needs via my iPad and cell phone while I'm out of the office meeting with clients and new prospective businesses. Technology is an important part of everything in today's world. We have gone mostly paperless at our agency. We use the computer for everything: advertising, marketing and communicating. We use social media and have established safe, secure online ways to send documents.
What's your mantra for success?
"To make our clients happy by exceeding their expectations." While this may sound generic, I found that striving to exceed my clients' expectations in all aspects of the business has helped me maintain a near-perfect retention rate.
What are your future goals in this industry?
The continuing development of Luhn-McCain is among the top of my priorities, I am always looking to continue my development and experience in the insurance industry.
How do you balance work and professional life?
It is tough sometimes, having to work full time, run a household, take care of pets and run a nonprofit organization on the side. It gets exhausting. I also try to squeeze in a few days of vacation here and there to visit my boyfriend in the Air Force, who is stationed in Oklahoma right now. Working for Luhn-McCain allows me the flexibility to be able to manage all of these things. Also, just taking a day off here and there really helps.
What is an important lesson you learned when joining a professional working environment?
The most important lesson I have learned thus far in my young career is that persistence and organization are essential to be successful in sales. At the end of the day, it comes down to taking care of your customers and their needs in a timely and professional manner.
What do you see Gen Y/Millennials struggle with in a professional environment? What advice do you have?
As a young professional, one of the main struggles I experienced was the gap in technology with the regards to marketing techniques when I came on board. We have changed our approach to marketing by implementing social media and using improved internet marketing strategies to our advantage.
Where do you hope to take your career?
I want to continue to develop and advance in my career. I hope to build upon the skills I have learned and eventually own my own organization.
Have you ever experienced any "generation gap" issues with your carriers in terms of personal interaction or the products they offer?
While there may be a generation gap issue with carriers and their products, for the most part, there are plenty of carriers that are willing to help, build a relationship with you and make it easy to do business with them.
Many young agents enter this industry because other family members work in insurance. What advice do you have when working with family?
Working with family is great; we are all very passionate about the business, providing the best services possible. While we may differ on things at times, we firmly believe in leaving work at the office.
What skills do you think young agents will need next year?
Patience, dedication, compassion and the ability to adapt to changing environments.
What do you see young agents struggle with in their first years in this industry? What advice do you have?
Getting new business leads can be a struggle. My advice would be to network as much as possible by attending functions and being genuinely interested in business and what they do, all the while, thinking of ways you can help them.
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a young agent? How did you handle it?
As a new agent, I have learned to expect the unexpected. My clients are always coming to me with the wildest requests, challenging our team to come up with new and creative ways of taking care of their needs.
What do you see as your biggest strength in this industry?
I think my biggest strength would be my genuine desire to help my clients, to look out for their best interests and my sense of urgency in getting things done.
What are some of your biggest career highlights?
Finishing insurance courses to achieve designations. Being featured in American Agent & Broker. I was included in a Resources article for completeing their training class. I am also featured on The National Alliance website with a video for their Producer School.
Kim Cahoon was featured in the March 2013 issue of AA&B. She is a producer/agent for the Luhn-McCain Insurance Agency.
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